Pepsi and Allen Iverson will award one lucky college basketball fan with $100,000 for getting every pick in their March Madness tournament bracket wrong.
You read that right. Iverson and the beverage conglomerate are not rewarding savvy picks. They are flipping the script and providing a life-changing sum of money to tank on selections.
March Madness includes 64 teams in its annual tournament. Teams are seeded No. 1 through No. 16 in four regions of the United States of America.
It may seem easy to score a perfect bracket, but just the opposite is true. There are annual upsets as soon as the first round without fail. That makes the probability of winning out as hard as hitting the lottery, or harder. So, Pepsi and the NBA Hall-of-Famer will try to break the market come April’s end.
Pepsi and Allen Iverson conceive creative March Madness prize
Allen Iverson issued a statement on the reason behind the partnership with the soft drink company:
“During my college career, I learned how unpredictable and tough the tournament can be. That’s why I’m partnering with Pepsi Zero Sugar and DraftKings on this bracket challenge. I want everyone to embrace the challenge of getting zero right this season,” Iverson said.
The former Georgetown product had his share of tournament ups and downs. The two-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year got the Hoyas to the Sweet 16 in 1995 and the Elite Eight in 1996. They wound up losing to North Carolina and Umass Amherst in back-to-back years.
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No matter how dominant he was on both ends, Iverson fell victim to what most teams do come spring, and that’s chance. That’s partly why he’s ready to give fans a golden opportunity as he promoted on X:
No practice necessary. 🏀Take your shot at winning $100K by playing @draftkings Zero Right Bracket Challenge Presented by @Pepsi Zero Sugar. Play free at https://t.co/UcS4jMQv8V pic.twitter.com/P9p0ss37r8
— Allen Iverson (@alleniverson) March 14, 2024
However, just how it may be a shot in the dark to get every pick right, bottoming out may be unrealistic as well, to a lesser degree.
According to Andy Wittry of NCAA.com, there are an average of 8.5 upsets every year. That staggering amount could backfire in later rounds for those looking to select middling teams with low projections.
No matter, tournament devotees are hyped to get a chance at $100,000. They responded to the announcement with enthusiasm on X:
We talkin’ about Pepsi, not Coke, not Coke, Pepsi. What are we talkin’ about……..
— Chris Roberts (TWITA) (@ChrisRo37002108) March 14, 2024
Selection Sunday is slated for Sunday, March 17. Tournament play will soon begin after on March 19. Fans can tune in to conference tournament championships tonight, headlined by No. 1 seed Houston taking on Texas Tech at 7 pm ET.
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